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Class: Templates and Packages

This lesson covers sharing Templates using the Package feature.

But first, let me give some training on several things on the Ensign web site. On the bottom of the web site are navigation links in the footer. There is a link for ‘blog’ and hot buttons to go to Ensign’s presence on Facebook and You Tube. New material, particularly answers to email questions, will be posted on the blog. This will be official answers and material from Ensign so you know the information is correct. The blog side menu has Search tools, and categories and tags that sort the articles into groups. We will use the blog features from WordPress which is one of the most widespread blogging forums and standards in use. Many times an email answer has worthy content, but does not merit being an independent web page which requires naviation links to find. Instead we will blog it.

While on this Help page on the web site, note that there are links for Ensign 10 Documentation. These 8 links have over 750+ pages of documentation on the new Ensign 10 program. They are the same PDF manuals that will display from the E10 Help | Docs button. The pdf manuals show in your web browser, and you can use CTRL+F keys to search for keywords in the documents.

I also want to point out the collection of videos that have been made on Ensign 10. Click Video Library. On the video directory is a column for Ensign 10 videos and a column for Ensign Windows video. Those who are new to Ensign are encouraged to start with Ensign 10. Those who are existing Ensign Windows users are encouraged to take a look at E10 by watching videos, reading the PDF documentation, downloading E10 and running it in parallel with EW.

We intend to fully maintain Ensign Windows. I realize and respect the irritation that some feel to make a change, or learn how to use the new product. However, please be open minded and you will see that there are significant new features in E10 that merit consideration for making the switch. You do not have to switch, and you can take your time in when you choose to investigate. These classes will help you decide and increase your comfort level, and perhaps entice you to switch sooner than you thought you would.

gyr: I love the look and feel of E10, I have been using both E10 and EW together.

Geoff: I am running the two in parallel and slowly building the new DYOs and templates for E10.

joseph: Wow…I am glad I attended this class. This is big news. Thanks.

Yes, you can run EW and E10 side by side, simultaneously, and that makes it easier to get E10 configured the way you have used EW.

And that is a good lead into today’s training on the subject of Templates and Packages.

Both EW and E10 have similarity in being able to save a collection of studies into a single file called a template. Then the collection can be applied to one or more charts by opening the template. The templates you have in EW are not transferable to E10 because the studies in E10 have had a redesign to add more properties and thus the property file structure changed. So you will have to add the same studies on a chart in E10, and configure the parameters to be similar to what you have in EW and then resave the new template in EW. Sorry, you cannot just copy templates from EW to E10 and run with it.

Now templates are just files, and they are saved in the Template folders, of which there are 8 folders. In EW you can share a template with another user by attaching the template file to an email. In E10 we have an even better method of sharing and that is to put the template in a package. The package feature is a very nice way to package 1 or more files into a single compressed file that is then uploaded to the Ensign servers in Salt Lake City. The package can be resident on the server for your friends to download. The superior advantage of the package is that the collection of files in the package might have come from a multiplicity of folders, and when the package content is extracted, the files are routed to the correct folder paths automatically. You would not have this placement advantage by attaching a file to an email. In EW, you would have to tell the user where to save the file, and if you have multiple files attached, each as to be saved from the email and placed in the appropriate folder location.

We have a video on the E10 packages for you to watch when you have time. Click Packages Video.

In E10, click the Setup | Package button to view the Package Manager screen. A package is a collection of Ensign files that can be uploaded to an internet server (storage location) for distribution to other traders. A package has the following characteristics:

Create a package by dragging files or folders from a directory tree and dropping the files on the package list.

The package content is compressed for significant size reduction.

The package can be password protected for security against unauthorized use.

Extraction from a package decompresses and distributes the files to their correct folder locations.

Extraction can be limited to specific files.

Packages can be used for backing up important files and folders.

Packages can be uploaded to either private or public folder locations on the Ensign server.

As stated, a package file can be password protected so only those who know the password can extract the package content.

Use the Select Site drop down list to pick various folders on the server. Ensign’s Official Folder will be were Ensign Software publishes official templates and packages. The view of the right side a listing of what is available to download. The packages from us are intended for everyone, and thus are not password protected. ‘

To get a package, such as the #4 item named Template-CamarillaPivots.package, you open the Package feature from the Setup | Packages ribbon. Click on the right side view on the 4th row to select the package, and click the Download button. Note to the right of the Download button is a check box for ‘[ ] and Extract’. I like to have this box checked so that the Download and the Extract happen as one process. The template will be download, extracted and placed in the templates folder.

I mentioned there are 8 template folders. I have use the 2nd template folder as the place I keep my official releases, and it is from this 2nd folder that I build the packages. Thus the templates from me will be placed in the 2nd template folder.

The General Public Folder is a place where the customers can share packages with each other. Whether the package is password protected or not is up to the author who posted the package. I suggest you use caution in what you download here, and do so when you know who the author is and what he is sharing via a package with you.

The listbox for the Select Site has 3 more exciting selections.

There is a selection for Your Public Folder and one for Your Private Folder. What we have in mind for these locations is for you to have your own server space. You would use the Private folder as a place to park materials you want to back up. You can upload and download packages that contain files that ONLY you can see when you use Your Private Folder.

The personal public folder is where you can upload packages you want others to have access to, and you can control what kind of access they have. This would be particularly of interest to a mentor who wants to release to his subscribers his set-up, templates, or ESPL programs. The mentor would package the materials, and upload to his personal public folder. Then clients would access thise packages using the Mentor Folders selection.

You will give your personal public folder a NAME, and the example shows my personal public folder named Ensign Class. Users would select Mentor Folders, enter the Site Name for the mentor folder they know about. Access to Download from this folder requires knowledge of the Download Password, which has to be entered before the user can connect. Mentors would give out their Download password to their clients. Optionally, the mentor may elect to also share an Upload password which is different than the download password. So the client may or may not be permissioned to also upload a package to this mentor’s public folder.

In summary, Ensign has an Official folder and you are welcome to download to the packages. They are not password protected. ONLY Ensign can upload to this official folder.

The general public can use the General Public Folder to exchange packages. It is up to you as the package creator to decide whether you want to password protect a package. Any one can see the package on the server, but would have to know the password to extract its contents if it is protected with a password.

You have a private folder to which ONLY you can upload and download. And you have a public folder you can upload to that others would access by referencing it using the Mentors Folder selection.

Now there is a step to getting your private and public personal folder. You have to fill in the Settings form and submit your information. This is how you establish the name of the site and the passwords that control it.

The Settings tab shows the form to fill in. Enter a valid email address, the name for your Mentor Folder and the passwords to upload and download. Then click the SAVE SETTINGS button. You will get an email with instructions to follow, and clicking the link in the email creates the 2 personal server folders. If you forget your passwords, click the Send to Email button to have them emailed to you.

The PDF manual for Ensign 10 Users Guide has good documentation on making packages, downloading, extracting, and setting up your personal server folders. Please read the documentation.

Building a package is pretty easy. Select the Build tab which shows a directory tree on the left and a package collection on the right. You drag files or folders from the directory tree to the package collection on the right.

The CamarillaPivots package contain 2 files. There could be more or less, but this example has 2 files. The first file is to be saved in the TemplatesTemplate2 folder and is the template file which has a .tmp extension. The 2nd file is to be saved in the Variables folder is an .ini file When working with DYOs we have the ability to give names to the global variables, and such was done for this template which contains DYOs. This 2nd file is the file of names for the DYO variables. It is not absolutely necessary, but when used and distributed it makes the DYO scripts considerably more readable.

Both of these files are in the official package and was saved as a compressed file with the name Template-CamarillaPivots.package. I use a standard of starting the name with Template- since it is a template package. Packages that are layout or are ESPL scripts will have other prefixes to let you know what the package is about.

The 25 or so templates we have released are documented in the Templates pdf file. Go read that documentation, and then download the templates you want to use. If you have E10 running, click Help | Docs, and use the sub-menu chevron to select Templates on the drop down list. If you do not have E10 running or installed, you can still read the templates manual from our web site’s Help page. On the Help page, click Templates Manual which is the 3rd item in the E10 column.